Circuit-continuing device



Aug. 12, 1924. 1,594,463

H. A. DOUGLAS CIRCUIT CONTINUING DEVICE Filed July 21, 1919 Tatenteolug. l, 1924..

REY A. DOUGLAS, F BRONSON, MICHIGAN.

- crncurr-oon'rrnnrn'e Dnv'ron.

Application filed July 21, 1919. serial Ito. 812,375.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. DoUcnAs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bronson, in the county of Branch and State of Michigan, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Circuit-Continuing'Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to circuit continuing devices and is of particularutility when embodied in a headlight structure for auto-- mobiles,though the invention is not to be limited to any particular use to whichit may be put.

The invention has for its object the provision of an improvedconstruction, arrangement and relation of floating contacts providedwithin shells formed at their ends for attachment with contact carrierswhose contacts are connected by the'floating contacts and which contactcarriers may-be in the "form of plugs and incandescent lamp bases,particularly when the device is enibraced in the construction ofheadlights. 25 The structure of my invention is also provided with meanswhereby smaller incandescent lamps may be included in circuit when theillumination furnished by the headlight is to be dimmed. In carrying outthis feature of the invention cords which .end in plugs are preferablyemployed to include the smaller lamps in circuit.

I will explain my invention fully by reference to'the accompanyingdrawing showing which Fig. 1 is a lo'ngitudinal sectional view of aportion of a headlight or other reflecting lamp that includes thecharacteristics of my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional viewof a part -of the structure appearing in Fig. 1, other parts being shownin, elevation and still other partsbeing removed; Fig. 3 is a sectionalview on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig; 4 'is' a sectional view on line 4-4 ofFig. 2; and is a sectional view on line 5-5 of ike parts are indicatedby similar characters of reference throughout the difierent figures.

the preferred embodiment thereof and in The metallic casing 1 of thereflecting lamp encloses a metallic reflector 2, which, in theconstruction shown, is spaced apart from the casing portion, to whichrelation of the reflector'and casing the invention is not to be limited.

The rear parts of the casing 1 and metallic shell 3 are assembled, thisshell projecting forwardly through the reflector 2. The forward end ofthe shell is provided with bayonet channels 4 for receiving the bayonetpins or projections 5 extending from the forward outer contact carrier6. This contact carrier happens to be the base of an incandescent lamp 7having a filament 8 with one terminal in connection with a metallicsheath surrounding the base of the incandescent lamp and its remainingterminal in connection with a central contact 9 upon the inner end ofthe carrier 6. The lamp may readily be brought into assembly with theshell 3 by means of said bayonet channels and projections and may alsobe readily removed from the shell.

The rear end of the shell is formed with bayonet channels 10 forreceiving the bayonet pins or projections 11 extending from the rearouter contact carrying plug 12. Y

Conductors 13 and 14, extending to and from a suitable source ofcurrent, are elec- 8o trically and mechanically coupled with thecontacts 15 and 16, that extend through the plug 12, by means of screws17 These contacts 15 and 16 extend forwardlythrough the plug 12 so as tobe engaged by contacts e 18 and 19 which are rearwardly pressed bysprings 20 and 21. The contacts 18 and 19 are preferably in the form ofspring barrels in whose bores the springs 20 and 21 are received. Thesecontacts. are received within the metallic sleeves 22 and 23, with whichsleeves said contacts" have sliding electrical contact. These sleevesterminate in blocks 24 and 25 at the forward ends and both oftheseblocksthemselves terminate in rivet portions 26 and 27 that pass throughtheoating contact coupler 28, of insulatinismaterial, which is riveted uponthe bloc 24 and '25 by said rivet portions .26 and 27 whereby theseblocks and the sleeves with which the blocks are integrally formed areheld in parallelism at the forward end of be the blocks. The sleeves 22and 23 slide through the plug 29 that is stationary within the shell 3,whereby these sleeves may have their positions altered to conform withthe positions of the contact carriers 6 and 12.

The rivet 27, in addition to holding the block 25 in assembly with theinsulating disc 28, also secures a. branch of the contact or contactportion 30 between the head of the rivet and said disc 28. This contactis provided with an offset contacting portion that is forwardly extendedand is located at:

the axis of the shell 3 to engage the contact 9 upon the lamp base 6,this contact 9 being coaxial with the shell.

To preserve the spacing between the insulating disc 28 and the forwardcontracting portion of the contact 30, I provide this forward contactportion with rearwardly extending ears 31 whose rear ends engage saiddisc for the purpose stated. These ears also are sufliciently' spacedapart to aid in maintaining the disc 28 at right angles to the axis ofthe shell 3. The sleeve 22 houses a second contact 32, this lattercontact being at the forward end of the sleeve and projecting, at-itsforward end, intothe channels 33 formed transversely through the block24. The plug 34 upon one end of a single stranded cord 35 may' beprojected through a side of the shell 3 into the channel 33 intoengagement-with the contact 32 whose forward end is receivable withinthe annular groove 36 formed in the plug '34;

pressed contact 40 that is receivable within the annular groove 41 inthe plug 37. A

forwardly spring pressed contact 42 is engageable with the'contact 43upon the rear [end of the base of the small incandescent lamp 44. Thislamp has a filament 45 having oneterminalconnected with the metalliesheath of the lamp base and the other terminal connected, with thecontact 43. The

metallic sheath 46 of the base of the lamp 44 is adapted for electricalconnection wit the shell 47 which in turn is electrically connected withthe metallic reflector 2. The shell 47 is formed with bayonet channels48 adapted to recelvethe bayonet projections '1 49 upon the base of thelamp 44.

Suitable switching devices, not shown,

-may be employed for bringing the large and small incandescent lamps 7and 44 intoand out of circuit as desired. When thecontact carriers 6 and12 are received in the ends of the shell 3, the coiled springs 20 and 21are placed under compression, the contacts.

15 and 16 pressing forwardly upon these spring springs and the disc 28causin pressure to exerted. rearwardly upon t ese 8 rings, this latterresult being effected by t e engagement'of the base of the lamp 7 withthe contact 30.

The sleeves 22 and 23 will adapt themselves with relation to the contactcarrier 6, being permitted so to do by the sliding engagement thereofwith the stationary insulating plug 29 and being maintained inparallelism by the plug 29 and also "by the disc 28. i

In order to prevent any twisting movement from being effectively exertedupon the disc 28, saiddisc' is provlded with tongues 50 receivablewithin slots 51 extending longitudinally of the shell 3 forwardly. andrearwardly of the disc 28 to permit this disc to have a floatingmovement suflicient to ac placed. If the plug 34 is removed fromengagement with the block 24 the spring 20 will press the contact 32forwardly to bring the inner shoulder thereof into abutting engagementwith said plug whereby the spring 20. will continue to co-operate withthe spring 21 in forwardly pressin the mechanically con led sleeves 22an 23. The ears 31, in addltion to performing the functions previouslydescribed, also co-operate with the anchored base of the contact 30 toprevent the disc'28 from rotating in either direction upon a diameter ofthis disc, a tendency which might be present if one of the springsshould exert more pressurethan the other.

Novel features not herein claimed form the subject matter of a divisionof this a plication Serial N 0. 554,267, filed April 17, 1922.

parting from the spirit of my invention, but

having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent the following: I

1. A. circuit continuing device includin a shell; a pair of contactswithin the shel and movable along the same; an insulating disc withwhichfsaid contacts are assembled; and a contacting portion carried byone of said contacts and spaced apart at one place from said disc, thiscontacting portion having formed therewith a s acing portion in thespace between it and t e disc.

2. A circuit continuing'device including a shell; a air of contactswithin the she While I have herein shown and particuand movab e alongthe sameyan insulatilgg disc with which said contacts are ass'emb and acoritactin portion carried by one of from said disc, this contactingportionhavone of said sleeves havihg a contact upon ing formed therewithspacing ears in the its outer end and located at the axis of the 10space between it and the disc. shell; sprin s within said sleeves; andcon- 3. A circuit continuing device including tacts extending throughsaid sleeves and 5 a metallic shell; a contact plug within an pressedoutwardly upon by said springs.

intermediate portion of the shell; two metal- In witness whereof, Ihereunto subscribe lic sleeves in sliding engagement with said my namethis 10th day of July A. D., 1919. plug; a member assembled with saidsleeves, HARRY A. DOUGLAS.

